Secret Shopper: Are gummy supplements as effective as pill-form supplements?Secret Shopper: Are gummy supplements as effective as pill-form supplements?

Gummies are growing like gangbusters, now accounting for nearly a quarter of all supplement sales in the U.S., New Hope Network’s Nutrition Business Journal reports. Many consumers say that this convenient, treat-like delivery format helps them stick to their supplement regimens, but some wonder: Are gummies too tasty to be true? Do they work as well and as efficiently as capsules, tablets and softgels? Natural products retailers are hearing these questions more and more, so our Secret Shopper stopped by one store to see what staff had to say.    

Natural Foods Merchandiser: Are gummy supplements as effective as pill-form supplements? 

Retailer: Generally, yes, assuming you take the recommended dose. They can pack more nutrients into a capsule or tablet than can fit into a gummy, so you often need to take more gummies than you would pills to get the same amount of nutrients. But if you follow the directions on the label, you should get what you need. Does that make sense? 

Natural Foods Merchandiser: Definitely. With all of the ingredients needed to make a gummy taste delicious, there is simply less room for the vitamins, minerals or botanical extracts, right?

Retailer: Exactly!

Natural Foods Merchandiser: Are gummies faster or slower acting than pills? I mean, for the multivitamins and the calcium gummies I take daily, speed doesn’t really matter. But for melatonin, for example, which I sometimes take to help me sleep at night, it could make a difference.

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Retailer: That’s a great question. I want to say that a gummy might be slower acting because your digestive system has to break down more stuff to get to the key ingredient. But I don’t want to steer you wrong, so I can see if my manager knows more.

How did this retailer do?

Susan Hazels Mitmesser, senior vice president and chief science officer at Pharmavite

Our expert educator: Susan Hazels Mitmesser, senior vice president and chief science officer at Pharmavite, which owns the Nature Made, Bonafide, MegaFood, Equelle and Uqora supplement brands. She holds a doctorate in nutrition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The retailer provided a great overview of how different supplement forms deliver nutrients. I commend them for highlighting the importance of following label instructions closely and for calling on their manager to provide support on topics they were unsure of.

The retailer is correct in saying that supplements in gummy form can be as effective as pills or tablets when consumers take the recommended dose. They are also right that in most cases, the serving size is slightly larger for gummies than for pills because the gummy needs to have positive sensorial attributes like great taste, which requires additional ingredients to deliver upon that expectation. That said, consumers should be sure to follow each product’s serving size to ensure they are getting the right dose.

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Ultimately, the goal is to try to get these nutrients daily, so whichever option helps improve compliance—whether that’s a great-tasting gummy or a format that allows for a smaller serving size—that is the one a consumer should go with.

As for whether gummy supplements are faster or slower acting than pills, there is evidence that indicates similar absorption in varying forms of water-soluble vitamins. For example, folic acid in gummy form had similar pharmacokinetics when compared to folic acid in tablet form.

No matter what form of supplements someone takes, it’s important to always consult with a health care provider. Always look for products from trusted brands that prioritize third-party verification showing that their offerings meet stringent quality criteria for purity and potency.